It has long been recognized by this inventor that babies and toddlers require some sort of controlled drinking mechanism when they start the self-feeding process. And this requirement continues for some time thereafter. Such devices have included and ranged from the most elemental type of baby bottle nipple to relatively complex spring-loaded valve mechanisms. In the construction of the inventor's valve assembly and mechanism for actuating and controlling liquid flow from a baby bottle or from a toddler's drinking cup, a spout and a spout insert are included. The spout includes a flanged spout member and a spout cavity through which liquid can flow. The spout overlays and sealingly engages a second flange which is configured as part of the spout insert. The spout insert also includes a pair of upwardly extending posts which project up and into the cavity of the spout. Extending between the posts is a valve bridge. This valve bridge overlays a hole defined in the spout insert through which liquid can flow when a suction force is applied to the spout. The posts and the bridge are constructed of resilient material, unlike the spout which is made of a generally rigid material and is not collapsible by a user's mouth. When no suction force is applied to the spout, the bridge effectively closes the hole.
In practice, the inventor has been apprised of a disadvantage in his system. And that disadvantage is that closure of the resilient valve bridge tends to trap a certain amount of liquid within the spout cavity. This trapped liquid has a tendency to drip from the spout of an inverted baby bottle or drinking cup even when no suction force is applied to the spout.